Court to Rule on Turaki Led PDP Faction’s Suit Against INEC

A Federal High Court in Abuja is set to deliver judgment in a suit filed by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Board of Trustees against the Independent National Electoral Commission, in a case tied to the party’s internal leadership dispute.

The suit, filed by a team of lawyers led by Chief Chris Uche, was brought by senior party figures including former Senate President Adolphus Wabara and former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, who are listed among the plaintiffs.

A rival PDP faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has challenged the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter, while lawyers for the defendants have filed preliminary objections seeking to have the case dismissed entirely.

The case is time bound, with the plaintiffs’ counsel noting that the suit is tied to INEC’s revised timetable for the 2027 general elections, which set July 17 as the deadline for uploading candidates’ names.

A dispute has also arisen over whether the PDP itself, listed as the eighth plaintiff, properly authorised the filing of the suit, with one legal team seeking to have the party’s name struck from the case entirely.

The judgment is expected to have significant implications for the PDP’s internal leadership question and its ability to finalise a unified candidate list ahead of the 2027 polls.